2009 World Snooker Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 April – 4 May 2009 |
| Venue | Crucible Theatre |
| City | Sheffield |
| Country | England |
| Organisation | WPBSA |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Total prize fund | £1,111,000 |
| Winner's share | £250,000 |
| Highest break | Stephen Hendry (SCO) (147) |
| Final | |
| Champion | John Higgins (SCO) |
| Runner-up | Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
| Score | 18–9 |
← 2008 2010 → | |
The 2009 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2009 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship) was a professional snooker tournament. It was held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 33rd consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. It took place between 18 April and 4 May 2009. The eighth and final ranking tournament of the 2008–09 snooker season, it was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and sponsored for the first time by online betting shop Betfred. The total prize fund was £1,111,000, of which the winner received £250,000.
The qualifying rounds took place from 26 February to 4 March and from 8 to 10 March 2009 at the English Institute of Sport. The 16 qualifiers and the top 16 players from the snooker world rankings reached the tournament's main stage at the Crucible. Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, having defeated Ali Carter 18–8 in the 2008 final. He lost in the second round to Mark Allen.
John Higgins defeated Shaun Murphy 18–9 in the final to win his third world title and 20th ranking title. The final was refereed by Michaela Tabb, who became the first woman to officiate at a World Snooker Championship final. A total of 83 century breaks were compiled during the event's main stage, the highest being a 147 by Stephen Hendry in his quarter-final match against Murphy. It was the highest number of centuries compiled at the tournament's main stage until 2015. Another 69 century breaks were made during the qualifying rounds.